Reminiscing
by Shinagami
Summary: Life resumes for Asuka, but the peace shall not remain, for the 14th has arrived.... R for some language and a lime scene. The REAL Shinagami is here
1. Ruse

Well, I've decided to release another fic with a plot to see if I could top my last one, and we'll see what happens. I don't like Asuka over Rei, nor do I favor Rei over Asuka. I think Shinji goes equally well with both of them, so don't think that the menial role Rei plays in this is a reflection of my opinion of that character. This takes place after the seventh angel, right before the eighth.

Disclaimer: Checking, checking.....nope, that Anno guy still owns Evangelion.

Reminiscing

Prologue: Ruse

By Shinagami

"Asuka, you're pregnant." When anyone hears those words they go hysterical, I know for a fact, everyone does. I'm no exception to that rule, I mean how could I be? 14 and I got a...._thing _growing in me!

"WHAT?!" My scream probably echoed all the way to Commander Ikari's office, but I didn't care. "What the hell?!" Dr. Akagi looked at me with what could be slight amusement, or annoyance, but I was still to shocked to analyze it more.

"Some of the preliminary tests we gave you a week ago turned up a 98% chance you are pregnant." She glanced at her clipboard. "We're analyzing Shinji to see if any residual sperm cells are his."

"Idiot-boy? I'd never, NEVER sleep with THAT idiot! But that's beside the point, how did this happen?!" 

The doctor scribbled something down and smiled at me. "Why don't you tell us." I narrowed my eyes, this was no time for games. 

"Look, I can tell you that for the few weeks I've been here Shinji has gone nowhere near me." I don't know why I'm arguing over some useless dolt like Shinji when my future is at stake. "I have to go." Sliding off the medical bed I rushed to the door and almost trampled Dr. Akagi's assistant, whatever her name was. Down the hall I ran, looking for a way out, and outlet of sanity somewhere inside the caverns of Nerv headquarters. I found it in a dark room where the only light was hundreds upon hundreds of gallons of liquid coolant illuminating four walls around my Unit 2. My leibling. For the first time since my escape I realized I was trembling, but that couldn't be... I was Asuka Langley Soryou , I was the top of line, I was best of the best... I was a teenage mother with no hope of becoming anything at all. 

"Pathetic..." My lips seemed to hold onto those words, unable to let them free to echo throughout the cage. My Eva stared down at me with its perpetual inquisitive look, almost seeming as if it was cocking it's head at me with curiosity. Hell, I'd be curious to know why my pilot who was usually so strong was now whimpering on the floor. I stood up, finding my strength once more.

"You know what? I can overcome this, this is nothing." It didn't bother me that there was no answer, response or words of encouragement, but then again, falsified hope only leads to a downfall.

***********

"I'm ho-ome!" With a swish of the closing door and the thud of my shoes falling from my feet I made my presence known. The living room treated me to a view of Shinji loafing on the couch, watching TV. That wuss, Dr. Akagi said it may be _his_ child. I'd just have to fix him up for his little gift.

"Shinji." I put as much loathing as I could into my voice. He peeked around the corner of the sofa, curiosity piqued. To my complete and utter shock he actually smiled a bit when he saw me, as if he was waiting for my arrival.

"Yeah?" My initial surprise of him not cowering or running away overcome, I set about making sure the rest of his life was a living horror movie. 

But before I could give him the what for, he surprised me by smiling more and standing up. "Dr. Akagi called and said that they'd confirmed it. That...the baby, well, it's me. I'm the father." he must've seen my expression turn from surprise to shock/horror and continued. " I've been thinking... and I think- no hope, that this will help us grow as a couple."

Speechless was never something I had to deal with, usually I could find _something_ to say, a rebuttal or even a witty comeback, but this, this....forwardness, this frank expression of his feelings.....wait, did he say couple?

"We are NOT a couple! I still have to kick you're ass for forcing yourself on me somehow!" I was beyond angry, I was so mad I got confused, stuff didn't jive here, why didn't I remember screwing Shinji?

"Forcing myself? I-I didn't! You don't remember when Misato was on night duty the night before the seventh angel fight and we found the bottle of wine? You said you'd never forget it, I mean...we did kinda do it three times....." The last part took a second to sink in, I was too busy trying not to kill the moron on the spot for even suggesting I'd concede to do _anything _with him to realize he said three times.

"-and where do you get off thinking I'd let a little alcohol destroy my common sense! I ought to- three times?" Before I knew it I was considering what kind of animal Shinji was to give it a go three times. 

"You said I was good, but not as good as you." There's that damn smile again, I'd just have to tear it off his face.

"Well of course you'd never, ever stand to compare to my performance," I shook my head violently. "And why am I even saying this!" With a huff I left him standing there and stormed to my room where I promptly let the muscles in my legs take the rest of the night off. "Mien gott in himmel...... now what?" Nothing in my room prompted a response, so I went over what consequences this might bring. No more eating Misato's food, if I'd ever think to trying it in the first place. I'd probably never get to meet that perfect man who'd fulfill my dreams, and Kaji....he'd completely ignore me now. As an added bonus I'd get really fat and my boobs would sag.....wunderbar. Sleep didn't come easy that night, but I swear I remember having a dream about Shinji and me raising a little Commander Ikari look-a-like.

***************

"Wake up, Asuka." I'm not used to having someone wake me up, I'm pretty good at getting up when I want to, however, that soft, caring, almost meek voice pulled me from my sleep that morning and stirred my brain to think a bit.

"Nmph....no Shin...ji. Goway......" Well, it tried to think. 

True to my suspicion, Shinji was leaning over the side of my bed and poking me in the shoulder. "Come on, we'll be late for school." 

School. Damn, the last thing I needed was to have to go there. Not in my...condition. Wait, Shinji? In my room? "Get out!" Luckily I'd fallen asleep in my school uniform, so he couldn't spy on my body, the little pervert.

"But....." I didn't give him a chance to finish.

"But nothing! You don't go into a girl's room unannounced! And furthermore not in MY room! For all you know I could be changing!"

Shinji looked at me and smiled. I'm beginning to hate that smile. "I've seen you already, remember?"

For the life of me I'd forgotten that _he_ was the father. "That's not the point! Go away." I suddenly didn't feel much like arguing. "You know what I'm gonna do?"

"What?" He leaned over my bed a bit more.

I shoved the covers off my bed and stretched. "I'm going to leave my room, take a shower, and when I get back there'd better be breakfast ready. Do I make myself clear?" His smile faded somewhat, giving me a sense of victory, until it reappeared wider than before.

"Okay, you just get your shower. I'll be waiting." Then he actually did something I am, to this day, still not convinced he did.....he leaned over me and kissed me. It wasn't a big full on, passionate kiss, but more of a small peck. Funny thing is it sent shivers down my spine. Right before it made me REALLY angry.

"Uhg! You idiot! Get offa me!" I huffed and stumbled out of my room, in search of the door labeled W.C. Not only was what Shinji did infuriating, but it was more confusing than how I got into this situation. As I sat down in the warm water roughly around a million thought whirred through my mind. Like how come Shinji was more confident. Was that just a side-affect of getting to screw me? Or was it because this wasn't the real Shinji. I'd heard that actors literally copy the character's personality they are playing, so it's more believable. There's something to think about. Was Shinji just acting? I left the sanctuary with those thoughts, and headed toward my room. I pulled the white school shirt over my head and looked at myself in the mirror, no sign of anything abnormal about me yet, but I probably wouldn't get fat until a month or so.

"Asuka! Breakfast is ready." Shinji's call summoned me to the kitchen where Misato sat gobbling down some beer and toast. Shinji ushered me into a chair and set a plate onto the table.

"Eat up, it's good." He said reassuringly. Looking onto the steaming pile of food, then back at Shinji my hand goes to my fork. 

"Wow, no insult Asuka?" Misato had finished her beer and was about to make a big mistake, messing with me.

"For your information I'm not always a bitch, Misato." My commanding officer and guardian looked taken aback for a second before regaining her composure and smiling. "I bet the mood swings are staring already."

"What do you mean by that?" God, please not let her know.....but I was hoping in vain. Of course she knew, she HAD to. She was the Director of Operations and my legal guardian.

"First you'll start to act like you have PMS times ten, then you'll crave all kinds of stuff. That's when you start gaining weight." That little sadist, I'd give Misato her just rewards soon enough, now I had to defend myself. 

"Well, you seem awful knowledgeable about this sort of stuff, know from experience perhaps?" Her smile stopped dead and shrived into a thin line. "I mean, you and Kaji were probably messing around in college and then, whoops....time for an abortion." I knew that was pushing it, but I'd come to far to back down now. 

"I guess you'll be getting one too?" I mean, fitting in your plugsuit will be tough when you weigh...oh, about 200 pounds." I'd not thought about that. I'd have to give up the baby or give up Eva. Eva was my life, but I couldn't take a life to salvage my own...could I?

"I'm leaving." Abruptly I scooted away from the table and strode out of the kitchen and slipped my shoes on. the . I heard Misato calling me and apologizing, but the argument was already forgotten. A few more drawbacks had surfaced, Misato was right, as much as I'd hate to admit it, she was right. I couldn't pilot and keep the baby. I would have no choice but to abort. A small voice in my head told me it was wrong, that I'd have to make sacrifices to be happy. Damn voice. A voice of another kind broke me out of my trance.

"Hey, Asuka! Wait!" I didn't slow my pace as Shinji stepped up beside me. 

He seemed like he was struggling to find words for something, so I said nothing. "You...you know, I-...I love you, like I said that one night. You, well, you seem like you didn't mean what you said."

That was a new one on me. Did idiot, wuss, pervert, moron, loser, Shinji Ikari just say he loved me? I didn't know what to say, more to the point what could I say. If all this was true like he said then I couldn't remember _anything_ from that night, not the feelings expressed, not the moment where we decided to express them, hell, I couldn't even remember the sex! I did the only thing I could do at the time, I gave him my best right hook, right in the cheek. To my utter shock all he did was put a hand to the red spot and loose a couple tears.

"Asuka....." With every bit of passion he probably felt at that moment he wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me, for the second time that day. However this time, he played his tongue over my lips, teasing them open. Before I knew it Shinji's tongue was in my mouth, and I couldn't take it anymore. A swift upwards kicking motion stopped his kiss, and we broke contact. Eyes wide, I turned and fled. I know it might seem pathetic now, but my brain went into overload and my legs worked on their own. Leaving Shinji groaning on the ground. I ran all the way to school, stopping in the courtyard under a tree to catch my breath and straighten my dress. 

"Asuka! Hey, how are you doing?" A kind voice called my attention to the class representative and my friend Hikari. She smiled when my eyes met hers and she made her way through the throng of students to stand with me below the sakura. 

"I'm...okay." I lied. Hikari might've been my friend, but I was not going to tell her me and Shinji had just been making out on the way over. 

Her smile grew and I could tell she knew something. "Oh, spill it...come on. Is it true you and Shinji...you know...."

The horror on my face must've giver her two impressions: One, that was the sickest thing I'd ever heard in my life; and two, how did you know? And who else knows? She chose the latter.

"You did! Ooh! You're lucky, a guy like Shinji would be great." For what seemed like the billionth time that day I was speechless. Hikari thought Shinji was great? Who else had this delusion?

"I...we didn't....Come on, Hikari. You know what I think of that idiot! Like I'd ever sleep with Shinji!" Bad move there. About ten heads turned our way from the masses, all of them undoubtedly heard me say 'sleep with Shinji'. "No, I didn't sleep with him!" I yelled, fearful as to what rumors where already on their way throughout the school. Soon my temper flared up and I was off, storming through the crowd to get to my homeroom. I saw a little black in all the white and green and the second stooge happened around a group of kids and past me. 

"Hey, guess the bitch isn't that bad after all, I mean she fucked Shinji." He said it to the last stooge, who I hadn't noticed before. The one with glasses. 

"Yeah, I feel sorry for him though, she must be on his ass all the time."

The second one laughed. "In more ways than one!" The two broke out laughing and were around the corner before I had a chance to exact my vengeance. My seat.....finally. I let myself fall into it laid my head on my desk. I could tell already this day was gonna suck. 

"Why me?" I asked, my breath making a small moist vapor on the fake wood of my desk. That's when Wondergirl decided to brighten my day. I never expected to be very good friends with Rei, I mean, a few weeks ago when I first met her she completely ignored me and made it clear she'd only be friendly to me if ordered to. So when she stopped at my desk and actually _spoke_ to me, I decided wonders would never cease. 

"Soryou." That's it, some greeting.

"What do you want, Rei?" I asked, not really caring. My unfocused eyes were suddenly aware of something red and blue at the same level at me. I looked to the left and realized that Rei was stooping to be at eye level with me.

"I was unaware you and Ikari were intimate, however I am...glad...for you." Well would you look at that, Ice Queen is happy. 

"Look, Wondergirl. Shinji and me are nowhere _near_ intimate, but if you want, you can have him." She tilted her head at me in question. "Don't look at me like that, I've seen the way you two act around each other. In fact, I'm surprised you didn't screw him first."

Rei said nothing, but chose instead to take her seat. Whatever. Around then the rest of the class started coming in, no doubt talking about me and Shinji, what a bunch of dumkophs.

"Stand. Bow. Sit." Hikari went through the stupid greeting like she did everyday, and the teacher chose the Second Impact as the topic for the day. Big surprise there. Just as he started talking a score of messages appeared on my laptop screen, all of them titled 'Is it true?', 'Why Shinji?' or 'I knew it!' I deleted them all. I needed to think about what I was going to do about this situation. Should I keep the baby or abort it? I knew full well that I'd have to get Shinji's consent if I wanted to abort, unless I could convince the clinic that the father had run off. Then again....there was part of me in there, even though it was only a dozen or so chromosomes, I was half of this thing. Then again, the staff in Germany told me that the fate of mankind rested in my hands. I had to defeat the angels, but I couldn't do that with a baby. When I got too big for my plugsuit they'd tell me I couldn't pilot, then after I'd had it I would have to take care of it constantly. Second thoughts suck. 

"Asuka?" I looked up, I'd zoned out longer than I thought, it was lunch already. Shinji stood over my desk with a bento box in hand. I noticed he hobbled a bit, attesting to his two injured fellows. I was torn for a split second between still being angry at him for kissing me twice, or taking the lunch. Lunch. I chose it for two reasons: One, apparently we had already broken the ice between us and shared a moment of passion...or three. So I couldn't be _too_ mad at him for being used to kissing me. Two, I was REALLY hungry.

"Here, I made this for you. It's got lots of nutrients and stuff you'll need." Uhg...I hate it when he's all nice and sweet. 

"Yeah, yeah, gimme that." The box contained some bratwurst, a salad and a baked potato. All western food, a welcomed change from sushi and ramen.

"Good?" He's still leaning over me, watching. 

After eyeing him enough for him to get the picture of backing off I swallowed and answered. "I guess, still needs a bit of work. You forgot the steak sauce." I know I must've sounding like a bitch, but I was hungry and what good is a tenderloin if there's no steak sauce?

"Oh, I'm sorry...I'll get it right next time." Enough was enough. I couldn't stand his dopey smile or his saccharine behavior anymore. I gathered my lunch and carried it over to Hikari's seat, where the tall stooge was talking to her. That was a change. I caught the last piece of their conversation as I approached.

"- And I got to thinkin, if Shinji could handle Asuka, then I'd give it a go with you...that is, if you want to."

"Sure, Toji. I'm free tonight. But we'll have to be quiet, my sisters will be home." Hikari and the stooge? They were actually going to do it because of a mistake me and the idiot-boy made? I couldn't let that happen. As the jock-stooge left I made my approach.

"Hikari! Please tell me your going to watch a movie and not going to-" She cut me off.

"Asuka, you and Shinji made me realize that you shouldn't wait for some things...this is one of those things." She smiled and sighed, probably caught up in the dream of what was going to happen later that night. Give me a freaking break, this whole school was messed up if that was the case. Not to mention I could feel about a dozen or so stares on me as I sat next to Hikari. I could just imagine the gossip. In fact, I could hear it, too.

"I heard they went at it three times!"

"You idiot, it was five, I remember Kensuke tellin me."

"Wow, how does someone like Asuka end up with such a nice guy like Shinji?"

"I don't know, I bet he feels sorry for her, no friends 'cept the Class rep."

"Shinji, that lucky bastard! I'd kill for that body!"

"I dunno, man...she's a real bitch I hear."

The classroom was probably not he best place for me to be right then, if anyone else had mentioned me and Shinji I'd killed them. 

"Wait, Asuka! Where are you going?" Hikari called after me as I parted the crowd with stares of pure hate.

The one thing I like about this school is it's courtyard. Lots of trees, grass, shade, and privacy. Which is what I really wanted. The only other place for that was the roof, and Rei was usually there. I remember hearing someone say that to figure out a solution, you must figure out what problem you have. So I went to work thinking what my problem was. Was it the fact that I had to abort or not pilot? Was it the anger of my classmates telling rumors? Or was it because it was with Shinji? I had to admit when I was younger I dreamed of this chance with Kaji. Okay, I still did, but I began to think that if it was Kaji's baby he'd do something brilliant so I could pilot and keep it. He'd be strong and handsome and keep me and the baby out of danger. Shinji just stood around and....and what? He was almost constantly nice, he tried to understand me, he gave up things so I could be happier, he even took the brunt of my anger and frustration. That was a mistake to do, think about Shinji. Every time I did I started to understand him a bit better, and I wasn't liking that at all. A woman shouldn't be dependant on a male for support, but then, that's what I was dreaming about doing with Kaji. Damn introspection. 

The rest of school went by slowly and painfully, I couldn't help but begin to wonder if I liked the wuss. Maybe it was those emotions I forgot even having resurfacing. Hard as I tried my thoughts wandered back to him, and I made my decision. Me and Shinji were going to have a talk. After the bell rung I happened upon Shinji waiting outside the building.

"Hi Asuka, want to walk home?" I rolled my eyes.

"You idiot, we walk home everyday." I think he may have look hurt by the 'idiot' part, so I rephrased my reply. "I'd love to walk home with you, Shinji." His eyes widened for a second before he smiled and accepted the invitation. 

"You know, I'll have to choose between the baby and Eva." I said suddenly, as we neared our apartment.

"You mean an abortion?" I nodded. "I think you should choose the baby. I mean, if worse came to worse, we could put it up for adoption."

Shinji had a point, I never realized it then, but despite his age he was very smart. I stopped at the stoop of the apartment complex. "Shinji, do you mean what you said?"

"Huh?" His brow knitted with my question.

"When you said you loved me, were you being completely honest?"

Without hesitation he nodded. "Of course, I wouldn't say it if I didn't. Why?"

The next part was hard to say, after all, I'd not had many people to say it to. "I-..I think that....I think I do too. That I.... never mind." I shoved my way past him and started to walk up the stoop to the door. 

"That you what?" I turned, Shinji was standing behind me, his eyes betrayed his emotions, he wanted me to say I loved him, his needed it. If I'd known then what I do now I might've realized that a little sooner, but then I disregarded it as weakness. I sighed. "That you're not such a loser..." I saw the happy smile appear on his face. "But don't go thinking I'm madly in love with you!"

He nodded quickly and bolted up the stairs past me. I could've sworn he was humming. I trooped up the stairs and slid the door to the apartment open slowly. As I entered I saw Misato's shoes on the floor, so she must have the night shift again. Hopefully we wouldn't find anymore wine. They were sitting at the kitchen table, both of them. Their heads snapped around to face me when I stepped up to the door of the room.

"Hi, Asuka." Misato said. "How was your day?" Her face said that she was either nervous about something, or she really didn't want to talk to me. 

"Don't ask me questions unless you really want to know the answer, Misato." I grabbed Shinji's arm and pulled him into my room. I made sure my door was closed securely before I started.

"Spill it." Arms crossed and foot tapping I waited.

Shinji sat on the end of my bed with a nervous, confused look. "Spill what, Asuka?"

"I want to know what happened that night. You seem to remember more than I do, if I'm supposed to already been in love with you I want to know what you did to make me decide that." There had to be _some_ reason why'd I suddenly belt out all my feelings for someone who I previously thought was a complete wuss in that short of a time.

"Well, I guess we just realized it...heh heh." That wasn't a good enough answer for me, but I let it slide. Shinji had just brought up a whole new mound of thoughts that needed sorting. "I'm gonna take a bath, want to join me?" I laughed aloud as his face turned red and he stuttered an excuse and bolted.

**************

Okay, where to start.....first thing first. I didn't believe for a second that Shinji's 'we just realized it' Relationships take time to build, not one night of drunken sex. One question that was just recently brought to my attention, why would Shinji stutter and make an excuse not to take a shower with me if he'd already seen me, and more importantly screwed me? The main thing that had been bugging me was the fact that everyone at school knew about us, but who'd told them? Certainly only authorized Nerv personnel knew about my pregnancy, and I seriously doubted that no matter how confident Shinji was after our little...fun, he would go telling anybody he'd scored with me. Not even the other two stooges. A little detail that I had been to pre-occupied to realize was that Hikari seemed awfully calm about me even being pregnant, I mean, I'd be scared shitless if my friend turned up with a kid. And if I knew Hikari like I thought I did, then I knew she was too proper to even _think_ of fucking the jock before marriage.

The steam from the hot bath water started to fog up the mirror, and I crossed my legs in the water.

And logically, if I was really pregnant then wouldn't Dr. Akagi have prescribed some sort of vitamins to me? I didn't know too much about medicinal science, but it seemed that there were things an embryo needed to be healthy, and so far I'd only received a bento from Shinji. Furthermore, did Nerv know the effectsof LCL on a baby? I knew it was just an oxygen enriched liquid, but could it harm a baby growing inside me? I think there would reasonable doubt that Dr. Akagi and the other techs would perform some tests to make sure or not. But no, I was going to headquarters in an hour to be stuck in an entry plug for hours on end. 

I stood from the bath and pulled a towel from the cabinet. Wrapping it around myself I stood in front of the mirror and stared at the foggy glass. At that moment two and two made four, and I was pissed. As quickly and silently as I could I dried myself and made it to my room. Pulling on my lavender shorts and tank top I went over what I had discovered.

I wasn't pregnant. Me and Shinji never fucked. They were trying to pull one over on me...but why? I'd figure that out later, right now some punishment was in order. I cracked my door and peeked out, which gave me an earful of some very valuable information.

"So she wanted you to take a bath with her, you're supposed to be in love with her." Misato's voice.

The next voice was Shinji, "But...I don't want to take advantage of her. I mean, right now she believes she loves me...I'm scum...why did I even agree to this!?"

"Shh!" Keep your voice down!" Misato's hushed whisper was almost as loud as Shinji's yell.

"Sorry. It's just that...well, it's not right, why can't we just end this, tell her what's going on?"

Misato must've given Shinji an angry glare or something, because I heard him 'urk' and then Misato's voice again.

"Because we need to see this through until the end, and when we do everything will be much better."

I re-entered my room angry still, but a bit confused. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, Shinji had to go and mess me up. He actually thought what they were doing was wrong, there might've been hope for him yet, but I still had yet to figure out the reason they were doing this. 

Figuring would have to come later, right now I was faced with deciding a proper punishment . I couldn't just go out and yell at them, while getting the same result as anything else it would lack the irony of a well thought-out plan. I needed to get back at them with their own game, if they wanted me to act like I was pregnant, then I'd show them. I made as much noise as I could while leaving my room, as not to startle them when I showed up, and sure enough, they were sitting at the table like nothing had happened. Misato with a bottle of something alcoholic and Shinji holding a cup of tea.

"Hi, Asuka. Would you like something to drink?" Shinji motioned to his tea.

I smiled at him with as much love as I could. "That would be great, Shin-chan" Misato's face betrayed the slightest trace of shock, or was it something else? Me using Shin-chan had to come as a surprise to her, after all, I'd been thrust into a situation where I was supposed to believe I was in love with my roommate and fellow pilot. Now I was accepting it, and I didn't think Misato was expecting that. Asuka one, Misato zero.

"Oh, okay I'll get you some." Shinji stood and went to a cabinet for some tea mix while I sat down across from Misato.

"You know, I've decided to keep the baby and raise it." I couldn't help but revel in the fact that I now had Misato completely off guard. I'd taken it a step further, not only was I accepting of my predicament, but I was willing to see it through. I have to give her credit though, she wasn't the Director of Operations for nothing.

"That's good to hear, talk Shinji about it?" She asked pleasantly. 

"Oh, yeah. When we came home from school. He said he thought it was the best way to go."

Misato smiled. "Good, I'm happy for you."

"By the way, Misato, I'm going to move my bed into Shinji's room so I can be closer to him."

I thought I saw her grin behind her can of beer, and she nodded. "I was just about to suggest that."

She was? Okay...this just makes it easier for me. "Okay. I'll do it when I get back."

Shinji returned then, and set a cup of green tea in front of me. I thanked him and regarded Misato. I had to find a way to spook her. I probably almost had it, until Shinji looked at the clock and announced that we had to go. As we walked in silence to the train station I went over my plan. For Shinji I'd just pretend to have all those feelings for him, which would undoubtedly scare him silly. I'd deal with Misato later, and who else was in on this? Dr. Akagi, but was her assistant? And what about Rei? I had a hard time seeing Rei being convinced to go along with the charade, unless it was an order. Already I'd been hanging on Shinji while walking, but later tonight would be when I turned up the juice. Even now I still debate with myself if I decided to use my sex appeal against him because it was his weakness, or because I really did want him to love me. 

We saw Rei as she sat on the train, schoolbag in hand. I noticed Shinji seemed to be more interested in her than me, while it shouldn't bothered me, I felt the need to remind him that we had a child of love on the way.

"Hey, idiot," I said playfully. "Give me your hand." He looked back at me as I grabbed his hand and put it to my belly. "Our baby's in there. I can't believe it's really true." He looked at me like I was nuts and squirmed in his seat. 

"Yeah." I could feel his hand begin to sweat from beneath my shirt, while it was pretty gross, it still felt good to start paying him back. 

"Don't be shy, I'm starting to remember little details from the other night....like how well you put this hand to use." By now even Rei was looking over to see what was going on. I pulled his hand away from my stomach, yanking him towards me. His face not but inches from mine I puckered up and drew him closer. I had no real plan, but at that time I figured I could tease him a bit and at the same time try to get a reaction out of Rei. When Shinji's face started to pull away as I drew near I frowned mentally, he'd already done this twice....what was his deal? Then I noticed that the shirt I was wearing plus the fact that I had not worn a bra, because I'd have to change into my plugsuit, gave him a view of my entire left breast. Ironic wouldn't be the word I would have used then, but now it seems fitting. I didn't know whether to recoil and slap him or continue leaning, but the train jerking to a stop made me tumble on top of him in his seat. His face implanted in my cleavage.

"Mhhhhhhp!" He wailed, struggling to get out from under me. I slid off of him and he sat upright and breathed heavily, regaining his breath.

"We should hurry if we are to be on time," Rei said standing up. I could tell she was amused, but she did a very good job of hiding it. "Please walk with me, Soryou."

It was my turn to be surprised, did Rei, the Wondergirl, the Ice Queen, just ask me to walk with her? I stood and patted Shinji on the cheek. "See you in a minute." He looked up as I turned to walk after Rei, who was sliding her access card through the slot. As I did the same and walked in I noticed her leaning against the wall waiting for me.

"What is it?"

Rei took a second before speaking. "I have come to the conclusion that you are not pregnant with Ikari's child." So she was as clueless as I was after all. One less person to feel my wrath. 

"One step ahead of you Wondergirl. I figured it out back home before we got here." I couldn't help but be proud that I had figured it out before her. I was a genius after all.

"Then the question I have is why you continue to express feelings towards Ikari if they are not based on actual emotions." That little doll, talking to me about emotions. I know it wasn't right to think of her that way, but at the time that's exactly how I felt.

"What do you know about feelings?! You think I don't have any feelings for Shinji? You're wrong." I noticed she inclined her head just a bit after I'd finish talking. Now that I think about it, telling her that wasn't the smartest thing in the world to do.

"And you cannot admit this to Ikari or anyone else?" She just wouldn't let it go.

I saw Shinji approaching and hauled Rei into another hallway until he'd passed by. "Look, what I feel and don't feel is my business, leave it at that, okay?"

"Fine." She brushed my hands away from her uniform and left. I realized I was almost late and bolted to the locker rooms. I didn't see Rei in the locker rooms or at the tests, which elated me to no ends when I found I didn't have to worry about her spilling what she knew to anyone. 

************

Four hours later I was toweling off the remaining LCL from my plugsuit. I ran into Shinji as he climbed from the plug with 01 stenciled on it. 

"Hello, Shinji." I swung my hips a bit more as I walked towards him. I saw him calm his face and look me in the eyes. A smile formed on his lips, the same smile I used to hate, the same lips I'd kissed twice.

"Hi Asuka, I heard your score." He nodded to a display that read out our synch ratios. I nodded, I was truly happy I'd finally beaten him.

"Oh, you know. I'm just a natural I guess." We chuckled a bit before he said he had to get changed or he wouldn't be able to make dinner in time. I agreed, and pulled him into a hug, making sure I grabbed one of his ass cheeks. "Wait for me."

He nodded quickly and hurried away. After I was sure he was gone I stared at my hand. Just why the hell did I touch him there? To be attracted to the only guy who was worth my attention was one thing.....but to grab his ass?

"Is there a problem Asuka?" My head snapped up when I heard the voice. That voice that was smooth, almost joking.

"No, not at all Kaji." I smiled and put my hand down. "How are you?"

He laughed and leaned against the wall. "With the exception of Miss Katsuragi being so complex, just fine." I scowled when he mentioned her name. Why on earth did Kaji even look at her was anyone's guess. I find it rather funny that now I see one could say the same thing about me. Why did I even look at Shinji?

"No need to get jealous, Asuka." He put his hand behind his head and laughed. "After all, what would you're 'Shinji-chan' think?"

Ooh....he didn't see what I did to Shinji did he? I had to think of something quick. Now I have about ten things I could've said to him then to cover, but at that moment all I could do was chuckle nervously.

"Well...uh...you know...." I smiled shrugged. "It's not that kind of thing, I mean, I'm not with him or anything." Wrong move numro dos. 

"Really? And here I was thinking you two would get married after high school, with the baby coming." Damn! He knew too.... had they gotten the bridge crew too? What about the Commander or the Sub-Commander? I hated to think I was powerless to do anything about those two, but it was the truth. 

"Well," Kaji said, spying one of the female techs walking past. "I have to go, good luck with Shinji and the baby." He swept past me and hurried after the receding form of the bridge bunny. I sighed and turned the corner into the locker room. Rei was removing her plugsuit as I entered. The thin curtain separating me and Wondergirl from Shinji gave me an idea. I'd have to move quick because Shinji was almost done. I depressurized my plugsuit and arched my back.

"Ooooh." I moaned. Immediately I saw Shinji's head snap around to where I was, I could see his shadow silhouetted against the curtain. "Hey, baka...." I put my hand to the white curtain and drew random circles on it. "You know what I feel like doing?"

I could almost imagine Shinji beginning to sweat and envision just what he thought I wanted. It wasn't too long before I began to envision what I wanted too, but I pushed those thoughts away to the back of my mind for later use. I had to concentrate.

"Y-yeah?" Shinji's reply shakily came.

"I wish," I arched my back a bit more, jutting my breasts out so he could see their outline clearly. "I could remember _everything_ that we did that night....I keep forgetting what you felt like...maybe you could remind me..." I trailed off, teasing him, seeing if he'd take the bait.

"Well,...I guess....I...okay.." Uhg....such a boy. Guys let their hormones do the thinking and then they end up used. Although Shinji did surprised me by not running away immediately. By now I was completely nude behind the curtain, leaning seductively against the pole holding it up. I noticed Rei out of the corner of my eye cocking her head to the side, 'she better not be checking me out' was the only thought I gave her, like I said, I had to concentrate.

"Okay, then....I'll see you at home." Still being as seductive as womanly possible, I put my clothes back on and left the locker rooms. As I departed I saw Shinji still staring in the direction of my changing room. Before I reached the exit I heard the intercom ordering Shinji to report to the infirmary.

I had a small victory celebration in my head as I got home, and set to work making sure Shinji would have no trouble being in the mood to let his hormones think for him. Misato wasn't home, it seemed, so I had time. Besides, even if she did return I was supposedly carrying Shinji's baby, so why shouldn't we express our mutual love? I lugged my bed into Shinji's room and pushed it up against his. After that I found all the scented candles I knew Misato had around and spread them out through the house. I had to hurry, Shinji couldn't be too far behind me. A soft swish followed by two dull thuds let me know Shinji was home, and I manned my station...

"Huh? Candles? Wonder what these are for...." Shinji kept on muttering to himself as he neared my position. "What?" I saw his shadow along the hallway wall bend down and pick up the bait, AKA, my panties. 

"Oh, Shinji....." I cooed, calling him forth. "That you?" I shifted in place so I could face the doorway when he entered. 

"Asuka?" He stepped into the room and froze. I was lying on my back in the bed with only a few carefully placed thin sheets covering my more private areas. I reached over and patted the empty space next to me, causing the sheet to slip ever so slightly. 

"Come over here." My half lidded eyes traced his reluctant movement across the room and to the bed. "You like what I did with your room?"

Shinji only nodded and tried not to stare at me too intensely. Holding the sheet to my chest I sat up. 

"Why don't you join me?" I hadn't thought this part of the plan out too entirely, but I knew I'd have to get Shinji's defenses weakened so I could take over.

"Well..." he began, but I cut him off.

"We're in love remember? I think we should have some _sober _fun." I grabbed his hand and pulled him into bed. "And besides...I want this...." Okay, the last part was the truth, as much as I had been denying it up till then, I realized I wanted to start a relationship with the little baka. I wanted him to be my baka. And that scared me to no end. Heart pounding I continued further, pushing him and myself near that edge were there was no return. 

Shinji looked dumbly at me, probably debating whether or not I was kidding, and if I wasn't what to do. "Want what?" He asked subtly leaning away. 

I pulled him closer, right up to my face where my lips were only centimeters from his. "You," I felt his breath on my neck. "and me to...make love" As I talked I gradually leaned forward, and as I uttered the last part our lips met, this time he made no attempt to run. His hand moved from his side to my waist, carefully holding me as I wrapped my arms around his neck. When I sat up the rest of the sheet had fallen to the floor, exposing my chest to him. After we parted he noticed, for the first time, that I was half-naked in front of him. Eyes transfixed on my breasts he reached out a shaky hand. I pulled on his neck, drawing him closer and his palm made contact. I could feel his skin begin to burn as he blushed and I took his other hand and placed it on the neighboring breast. 

"Asuka...I'm not sure...." He began before my lips against his cut off his apprehension. As I pulled away I shook my head, not wanting him to spoil the moment with needless talk. He nodded and started to message both my breasts simultaneously. We kissed again and I moaned into his mouth. It's funny now that I always imagined what sex would be like, but nothing prepared me for what new sensations I'd have. Slowly we sank onto the bed and I rolled atop him. I'd have to get what I wanted then or I'd lose myself.

"Mmmmmm, Shinji...." I groaned and looked into his eyes.

He looked up at me, but continued tentatively rubbing me. 

"Tell me....." I let the words hang while he pondered just what I needed to hear. 

"Tell you what?" He whispered, pausing a moment. I shifted my weight a little so my breasts were near his face.

"Tell me..." I hesitated, feeling a twang of guilt for using him like that. I decided to repay him a little. With a small lean my right nipple was brushing his lips, and he graciously took it into his mouth. "Why Misato wants...." My back arched out of it's own will as a tremor of pleasure rippled through my body. "to deceive me." The suckling stopped.

"Is that why you're doing this?" His voice was a hoarse whisper. "Just using me. I should've known."

"No...Shinji-" He interrupted me by sitting up, nearly knocking me onto the floor.

"I was just a pawn in Misato and your game. I'm sorry Asuka, I'll be in the kitchen." He slid out from under me and left. At that moment my heart was wrenched into a twisted wreck. How could I do that to someone I supposedly loved? I didn't deserve his love, nor anything else. No wonder everyone always left me. From the silence came a few hushed sobs, emanating from the kitchen. I had hurt him, and now there was nothing I could do. He was right, I'd only used him to get what I wanted, be it information or pleasure. He wasn't scum, I was. I was lower than anything right then. Ashamed I blew out the candle next to the bed and softly wept. 

***********

My sorrow was short lived, however. I found I could no longer cry. I stood from the bed and looked around, everything I'd worked to create and deceive was gone, mere memories of a girl who used to live in a steel room, protected from hurt or emotion. As I walked away from those memories I grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around myself. The kitchen was my destination and no one, not Misato, not Commander Ikari, not even the goddamn angels could've stopped me right then. To my relief Shinji was still there, slumped against the table, not moving. Dear god, I remember thinking, he'd better not have killed himself.

Carefully I neared him and observed. His chest gently rose and fell, proving him alive. I breathed a sigh of relief and approached him. 

"What do you want?" His muffled voice croaked. I walked around to face him and sat in the chair opposite of him.

"Shinji....I'm sorry." His head slowly rose and he regarded me with red rimmed eyes.

"You're sorry? Fine. Leave." he sounded eerily like his father just then, his eyes leveled at me from behind an angry brow. 

I made no move to get up, but reached across the table and put my hand to his cheek. I swear he snarled at it, and then smacked it aside. 

"I don't need your fake love! You're just like them!" His voice cracked and he started crying again.

What could I say? He was absolutely right. however, I couldn't leave him like that, vulnerable and near hysteria.

"Shinji, what I did was wrong, I shouldn't have done it, but I-"

"Shut up!" His roar reverberated though the small room, making me cringe. I'd never seen him like this... with the exception of the footage of the third angel I'd watched. I realized then that he held the power to become berserk, in fact, when pushed to our limits we all could. He stood, knocking the chair over and shook with rage. "You ARE just like them! You give nothing but excuses, then you leave me! I hate you! I HATE you!"

I couldn't bear to see him like that anymore, I tore down what was left of my steel room and let my emotions out.

"I fucking LOVE you, you idiot!" I stood up violently and punched him, sprawling him backwards. "Why can't you understand that?" I asked quietly as he lay on the floor, cheek red. This time, I feared, there would be no soft murmur of my name and a kiss. I continued on, not letting his silence stop me. "Even when we fought the sixth...I started thinking. I never let on....because I was afraid you'd be like them...Like Papa...and Mama...." A lone found it's way down my face. "Then I saw how you felt about tricking me....you said you felt like you were taking advantage of me. That was the final bit, the last deed to make me realize that you weren't going to leave me." He sat up now, and studied me. It felt odd, him scrutinizing me, but I knew he was considering me, seeing if I was truthful. "You're right, though.....I used you to get what I wanted." I shuddered involuntarily. "But I also was being honest. I did want us to....be together."

I was done. Nothing more to say I dropped my hands to my sides and looked at my feet. There I was, the real me, Asuka Langley Soryou, out in the open. Pitiful, weak, cowardly...I was all these things. Yet, even with my flaws I prayed that he'd see past it, see the love my battered heart harbored.

"If you wanted us to be together then you should've got to know me." I looked up slowly and realized that he was standing in front of me. "I loved you from the very start, Asuka. That first moment on the Over the Rainbow, I knew there'd be no one else I wanted." I smiled, despite our situation. "But....that doesn't mean you can take advantage of my feelings. I want you to love me because you do, not because of what others tell you." 

"Shinji, I would've come to this conclusion eventually. What everyone did to trick me just hurried that up." 

"Maybe, but that's not the point. This was never meant to build a relationship...." He righted his chair and sat down in it.

I pulled my own chair up and sat across from him. "Then let's start over." He looked at me quizzically.

"Guten Morgen, I'm Asuka. Asuka Langley Soryou. You must be the Third Child." I used the lines I said to Ayanami because it's what I would've said had I not seen Shinji's posse ahead of time.

He looked at my hand dubiously for a second, before taking it.

"I'm Shinji Ikari. Nice to meet you."

Continued............

A/N: Whew, that was a long beginning, huh? Well, at LD's suggestion I'm going to make this a little mini-series, showing the lives of our two lovebirds in the future with some handy flashbacks. Big thanks to Lord Deathscythe, Ryoma, Random 1377, and TommyRude.

Feedback is welcome at mathis478@hotmail.com or in the review box.

Shin's Flying Omake Circus

Gendo sat, hands steepled in front of his face, watching. A figure at his side shifted slightly.

"Is the charade of the Second Child progressing?" The Commander asked, eyes forward.

The figure turned to look at him. "So it seems. Are you really going to do it, Ikari?"

Light played off of Gendo's rose tinted glasses. "Hnnnnn. The Third Child is in need of some serious action. This is the only route available."

"That may be," Fuyustuki said. "but are you sure he's ready for this?" His eyes traveled back to a large monitor showing surveillance recordings of the Shinji's room. 

"Are you sure...." The boy said before a mass of red filled the camera's view. 

Gendo smirked. "It appears he inherited my excellent frenching technique."

End


	2. Decay

Reminiscing

Chapter 1: Decay

By Shinagami

"Wake up, Asuka." My eyes, accustomed to darkness, slowly took in early morning light filtering through a window. My vision blurred and re-focused.

"Asuka, wake up." Someone was chanting the same phrase over and over, like an alarm clock and I began to take in my surroundings. It was morning, I knew that much. I didn't know, however, where I was. The place looked familiar, but my surroundings were out of place. With a look to my left I understood. I was still in Shinji's room, and our beds were still pushed together, and he was not but half a foot away from me. Suddenly I felt a swirling maelstrom of emotions. It gradually dawned on me that since our talk last night, I had no idea of where I stood with him. And I wasn't sure I cared at that moment. I was right next to the ultimate boob, the whiniest loser of them all, yet I didn't care, I was happy and I was comfortable. I thought I was in love with him, but with my actions I proved that I was only thinking of myself. I'd made a mistake in my judgment. Using sex appeal against Shinji was wrong, I wasn't only disgusted that I was using him, but the sheer decadence of the act was appalling. Shinji had done something to me, he'd made me realize that I _could _open up to people, it wasn't impossible as I'd made myself think. Shinji seemed less and less like my enemy, or competition and more of a normal person. 

Sitting up I realized another thing, I was still only clothed in the sheet I'd wrapped around me, and Misato was leaning against the doorframe, with what I interpreted as a lecherous smile.

"That's the last time I leave you two here alone, with or without wine." I shook my head to clear it and smiled back, showing some teeth.

"It's okay, Misato. Shinji and I didn't do anything. We never did." I saw her smile drop.

"So you know, huh?" 

I knew all too well. Shinji had been kind enough to answer my question after we made up. 

"I know you and Dr. Akagi doubt my mental stability."

Misato sighed and stood up straight. "Look, it was a safety precaution; the Eva could have done something dangerous if you're not fully in control of it."

"I AM in control, why the hell would there be reason for doubt?" I was nearly yelling. Misato looked at Shinji still sleeping and lowered her voice.

"Asuka, I know about your mother...I'm sorry but with that in mind we had reasonable doubt."

I stopped arguing. This was because my mother had committed suicide? At the time I could remember all the emotions from seething hate to aching sadness. "Mama..."

"Look Asuka, I know it's hard to talk about...but let's look past that. There were other factors also, but deceiving you into believing you were pregnant would simulate enough mental stress to determine if you could handle the kind of stress fighting angel's causes."

"Oh, and I suppose Shinji and Rei should have these tests too?" I didn't know it then, but Rei was the reason I was tricked. Later, when I found out, I'd be a lot angrier, but inside I'd understand.

"Rei has already undergone the test..." Misato said quietly. "She was one of the main reasons we decided to do it with you."

"Oh, so Wondergirl inconveniences me _again_." I raised my voice a bit. "Why the hell are you comparing me to her anyways? She's just a doll! I'm the best! I don't need a test to make sure I'm stable!"

"Asuka, I-" She started.

"Don't give me that crap! It's insulting! Wondergirl is the stupid prototype! I am the final product; I'd never loose control of my Eva!"

Later I'd learn that there was an accident with Rei and Unit 00, and it was deemed because she was unstable. Looking back I can't blame them, it was a safety precaution, like Misato said, but being compared to someone- Rei of all people! - really angered me. I was WAY more stable than that little puppet. How wrong I turned out to be.

***********

Time passed with relative ease. I was recruited to defeat the eighth angel, and did. I would've died that day had it not been for Shinji, diving into the volcano unprotected to help my undeserving ass. If I were him I'd never had gone in unless ordered to. It showed how immature I really was, despite my claim of being an adult. Next came the ninth angel, Shinji, Rei and I had to crawl through air ducts just to get to the Eva cages. I'd discover that someone had sabotaged the power supply, but it didn't really matter, I was a pilot, and while I was upset that I'd had to humble my dignity just to be able to fight, I couldn't do much about espionage. More time, more angels to defeat. I'd go into more detail about each attack and defeat, but that's not my intention. A few days after the 2nd Nerv branch in North America disappeared Evangelion Unit 03 arrived. I was ecstatic, a new pilot, maybe even someone I could call my friend. I didn't think of Shinji as a friend for two reasons: one, we'd shared a moment or two where both of us, whether it was just physical love or not, were completely willing to start something that might be disastrous...or amazingly beautiful. Two, I still had s faint flicker of feeling towards him, which with every angel attack grew a bit stronger. Unit 03 gave me hope of someone new, someone fresh who didn't know me or my quirks. No matter that I started over with Shinji, I already explained he was forever to be cherished. I remember when I found out the Fourth Child. I was visiting Kaji, my stupid need to be close to him and have him accept me as worthy of his charm made me ascertain that Toji Suzahara was the candidate.

"Mien Gott in Himmel!" I had yelled, taking a step back. "What idiot made HIM the Fourth Child?!"

I seem to remember Kaji slumping to his desk and making a sarcastic remark, but right then I was too busy wondering how the revered rank of 'Children' was now just handed out to anyone. As fate would determine, Toji Suzahara would be seriously maimed during the test activation at Mt. Matsushiro. I recall that we were put on battle alert and told that the 13th angel had been sighted. It was then that I found how much human life meant to us all. When the angel came within visual range all of us except maybe Ayanami, gasped...I mean this was Unit 03, supposedly there was a pilot inside. I tried to tell Shinji who the pilot was, seeing that Misato had neglected that detail, but the possessed Unit attacked. 

I was defeated, not from lack of skill, like most - including me - thought, but because I didn't have the willpower to kill another human being. Rei Ayanami, from the combat footage I'd obtained, hesitated to fire upon the Unit. She knew who was inside also, I'd later learn. She was brutally rendered immobile, and it cost her a moment of excruciating pain in her left arm. Shinji, too, refused to fight, accepting death. I watched the camera recordings of Shinji's throat constricting as if hands were wrapped around his throat until the Commander had ordered the dummy plug into action. I was never given the full details of the fight, because no camera ever caught the bloody massacre on film. Shinji once told me it was like watching a surgery in person, with the head surgeon being a wolf. I never doubted him, and internally I pitied the Fourth. I had only known him through school and even then it was only an exchange of insults, but he was one of us, whether I liked it or not. 

Not only did Toji's injury panic everyone; it made Shinji feel responsible, though I don't see how. He wasn't even in control, it was as if he was on the bridge, the dummy plug had done that to Toji. Yet the stupid baka blamed himself. He'd received solitary confinement because of 'criminal acts'. 

It'd been days since I had last seen him, and my subconscious was worrying about him. Wondering out of my room one day, I overheard Misato talking to someone on the phone about setting up a departure for the Third Child, which confused the hell out of me, Were they sending Shinji to another Nerv branch? I decided to find out what was going down, even if it meant using someone. After a routine check-in I slipped down to the holding block level, but my rank as 'pilot' didn't grant me clearance. I had to find a roundabout route, or a loophole. Exiting the elevator from the sub-basement I saw the one person I knew who could get me inside.

"Kaji..." I purred, grabbing hold of him arm and pretending to be affectionate. He looked down at me and gave me a smile that would have melted me, had it been a month ago. "What are you doing?" 

He nodded to a manila folder in his hand. "Just delivering some papers to that cute technician, her name is Ibuki, I think." Hitting on a tech? Only Kaji...

"Well...I have a synch test scheduled for later this week, I was thinking afterwards maybe we could go to dinner? That is, if that idiot Shinji doesn't cry about being left out." I had to get the information I wanted without letting him know I was doing it.... and without trying to seduce him.

"Hmm? I thought you knew Shinji was in confinement. But I'll tell you what; tomorrow I'll take you to that new restaurant that opened. Now, unfortunately, I must be off." He pulled his arm from my grasp and began walking away.

"Hnnnnn, you know the idiot will want something besides what they're giving him...." I started.

He turned back. "I _have_ heard that jail food isn't the most stomach friendly substance.... a lot like Katsuragi's..." My thoughts were moving too fast for me to really care about his mention of Misato.

"Well, after we eat then I guess I could go give the moron his stupid dinner." I said, exasperated.

Kaji turned and began walking. "Wish I could help Asuka. But I don't think Commander Ikari will allow Shinji to have any visitors, even I can't convince him otherwise. Don't worry, though. He'll be out in a day."

He turned the corner and was gone.

"You wish to see Ikari?" I jumped; the voice sounding like it was far away, though I could feel the breath on my neck.

"Wondergirl, don't sneak up on me again." I said and faced her.

She met my gaze and stared. After a second of this I realized she'd asked a question, and I had yet to answer it.

"Yeah, so what?"

She considered this for a moment. "I was under the impression that you did not wish to be involved with him."

"Rei, mind your own business, will you?" I was getting tired of her constantly intruding on whatever was going on between Shinji and me.

"Ikari is my business." She said simply. My face became a mix of amusement and incredulity.

"You're kidding, right?"

She lowered her head an inch, her eyes never leaving mine. "I am not joking. Ikari's well being is my concern." So what do you know, Ice Queen loves her little Shinji-winji. At least, that's what I felt at the time. Had I known Rei a little better I would've seen the look of sheer determination and protectiveness of Shinji.

"Well?" I put my hands on my hips. "What do you want?"

Rei reached into her bag and pulled out an ID card. "I will get you to Ikari's cell." Before I knew it she was walking down the hall, back towards the elevators. 

"Huh? Hey! Wondergirl! Wait up!" I shook my head and walked after her, cursing about just why she couldn't be normal. I came to a stop in front of the red door of the lift, where Rei stood, waiting. "How are you going to get into a Level 9 clearance cell?" I asked, her back to me. When I heard no response I asked again.

"That is not of your concern." I frowned, here was the uber loser butting in MY business and then she won't even explain what the hell she was planning! I mean, she could be thinking about knocking out the guards and abducting Shinji, and I wouldn't even know. Not that Rei would do such a thing...but you have to admit.... Rei running out of destroyed holding block carrying Shinji over her shoulder.... that's funny.

"Hey, Shinji is my concern too, so you'd better tell me what you're up to." She turned her head and looked me in the eye.

"I have clearance." The doors opened and I walked in after my co-worker, stunned. Rei had a higher clearance than I did...probably than Shinji did. I always suspected she was the commander's favorite. That explained why she could get in, but if that's the case, couldn't she have visited Shinji on her own? Maybe, but what reason would she have? Later on Shinji would tell me about the origins of Rei, and when he did, he did so with tears in his eyes.

"We are there." I snapped back to reality and noticed we were not in the holding block, we were in some sort of sub-complex, ill-lit and covered aging pipes and other machinery.

"What the hell...." I asked, but Ayanami had already slid her card through and walked in. Cautiously I peeked in and followed.

"Rei? What is this place?" I caught up to her and matched pace with her. "I get the feeling this place isn't used often."

"You would be incorrect in assuming that." She said flatly, continuing on her way.

I grabbed her shoulder, stopping her. "What do you mean? I've never seen this even on the official blueprints..."

"That is because they are not on the blueprints." She nodded to a door with a valve lock. "Beyond this door is information classified top secret to even Major Katsuragi." I blanched. "I am showing you this because the future holds no certainty, and Ikari will need as many who know the scenario as possible."

"S-scenario?" I was getting a bad vibe just then, and I backed away. "Rei? What the hell _is_ this?"

She began cranking the handle around, and it slid open effortlessly, exposing its well-maintained appearance. She stepped inside, and was engulfed in darkness. I hesitated, seeing an eerie orange glow emanating from within. Gathering my courage I stepped through, and gasped.

"Commander Ikari is planning something." Rei said quietly from where she stood. "And it will endanger all of mankind. You must know this if you want Shinji to survive it." I swallowed.... this was big...no, huge! As my eyes grew accustomed to the low light I made out an enormous bulging shape behind Ayanami.

"Rei.... What-what the fuck is that?" I asked, shakily pointing a finger at what she stood in front of.

Massive, with interlocking cylinders writhed about its surface, wires strung from every direction conceivable, and there was more. A giant brain was my first thought, no... my first thought was 'mien fucking gott!'. 

"This is where I was created," She lowered her eyes. "where I was cloned." Cloned? _Cloned?!_

"Rei...you're kidding, right? Tell me you're kidding!"

She looked at me, our gaze met. "No." She crossed the distance between us and stood directly in front of me. "I am replaceable, that is true. However, the time draws near for Commander Ikari to put his plan into action. The fourteenth will arrive, and Shinji will be lost. Soryou, do everything in your power not to let that happen. We must not let Shinji pilot on that day. If we fail.... the scenario will progress, and all hope will be lost." Hardly any of this registered, Shinji lost? Killed while fighting an angel?

"Just wait a freaking second! What are you going to do? You aren't going to go against the Commander, are you?"

"If need be, yes." This was too much. I leaned against the wall behind me and slid down. 

"No..... I shouldn't know this...this is YOUR deal, not mine. Leave Shinji and me out of this."

Rei kneeled down to where I was. "I cannot. You are involved in the scenario just as much as Ikari and myself. If you choose to ignore the warning I give you, then there will be no hope, and you and Ikari will end up hurt, and alone."

"Leave me alone...don't try and mess me up with your damn enigmatic words!" She cocked her head to the side.

"I am merely doing this for Ikari's safety. You said you cared for him. Then heed my advice. Do not let him pilot." Shaking, I nodded. I'd have to do this for Shinji. I had no way to confirm if what she was telling me was true, but here we were, in the room of her creation, and she was telling me that something big was going down. 

"One thing, Wondergirl."

She nodded, telling me to continue. "Misato said something about the Third Child leaving, what that about?"

"Ikari wished to leave Nerv and Eva."

I frowned. "If Shinji wants to leave then why don't we let him, then we wouldn't have to worry about him piloting." She shook her head slightly.

"No, Ikari will return. Eva will not let him be gone for long."

*****************

Silently we made our way back to the holding block level; my eyes never left Rei's back. Cloned.... she was cloned. But from what? Did Commander Ikari contribute his own genes? That would explain why he liked Rei so much, but she looked nothing like him. Ayanami stopped and slid her card through a reader beside two large steel doors. After a second an LED shone green, and we entered, walking past several empty cells until we found the one which held Shinji.

"Halt." Two burly Section 2 men flanked us from either side and blocked our way. "You are not cleared to access this area." I couldn't see their faces in the dim light, but they were probably not too happy.

Wordlessly Rei offered her ID, which one man slipped into a small card reader. The man frowned and looked at us.

"You are cleared. Second, you are not." I debated over arguing with the two to let me through, that I was the Second Child, but Rei spoke up first.

"She is also permitted." The two regarded Rei for a second before looking back at her ID. They probably noted the high rank and decided not to bother asking. 

"Right. Carry on." We moved past the suited men to the cell door, where Rei's ID once more lifted the security barrier. The large steel door slid open, producing a vociferous clanking. I made out Shinji's silhouette slumped on the cot.

"Shinji?" He looked up and squinted.

"A- Asuka?" I entered the cramped cell and put my hands on his shoulders.

"You idiot..." I said playfully, leaning over and grinning at him. "How long you in for?"

Shinji looked down, obviously not amused. "Why did you come here?"

"Oh, I was just in the neighborhood..." Behind me I heard Rei step into the cell with us.

"Ikari." One word and she had his undivided attention. Here I am, and he barely cares.

He stood up and looked at me, then at her. "Both of you came? To see me?" Like that was so unbelievable....

"Of course, you think we'd forget about you?" He looked down.

"I...I didn't know. I thought you would be mad at me." Mad at him? For what? 

"Well...I thought you would be upset over being.... defeated." He almost whispered that word 'defeat', like I'd freak out over it. Back then it seemed so completely pointless as to why I even competed with him; it was so obvious that he was the best pilot.

"Me? No...." Okay, that was a little untrue. I was so pissed after they pulled me from my plug that I had planted my fist into the recovery vehicle's bulkhead. 

"Oh." He seemed to be thinking, struggling with what he wanted to say. "I've decided...." The words came out dry and low.

"Hmmm?" I asked, not sure what he was saying.

He drew in a deep breath and let it out. "I've decided to leave Nerv." Yeah, Rei had said that he wanted out. She also said that even if he left he'd come back, and that would be disaster. I turned around to see what Rei was going to do, but she was no longer there. I turned back to see Shinji's expectant eyes, awaiting my thought on him running away. 

"Why?" One word was all I needed to ask him, if I said too much I'd risk shattering his fragile reasoning.

"Well.... Father...he made me do that to Toji.... I don't want to be apart of anything that would kill it's own people...make me kill my friend." That seemed logical enough with that concept of Nerv why should he stay? In his position what would I do? I'd stay and tough it out, because Asuka Langley Soryou doesn't just quit without a fight. But I wasn't Shinji, and Lord knows that if anything he needed support. 

"You're absolutely right." His head came up and he looked at me, more than likely trying to consider whether or not I was lying. I wasn't. "You've done all you can for this world and what have you gotten in return?"

"Nothing." He said with a sigh. I sat next to him and cupped my chin in my hands. I could feel the tension almost emanating from him. 

"You should leave, go away and forge a new life for yourself." Hopefully my words were not a hollow as I felt saying them. It couldn't have been the farthest from the truth. I didn't want Shinji to leave, I wanted him there, were I could be close to him. 

"But....what about you and Rei, or Misato?" My shoulders drooped even more after hearing him profess his concern for Misato, Rei and myself.

"I don't know if I love you, Shinji. Or if I even like you. But I will tell you something." I swallowed, feeling my throat dry and deprived of saliva. "I know you are the most deserving person on this planet, and I know you won't believe me, but this is not the place for you. Go Shinji, run."

"You're wrong, I'm not deserving. I'm leaving...." He shuddered and continued. " I'm leaving because I can't be here anymore. I can't stand walking through the hallways here, I can't stand seeing weapons coming from towers whenever I walk outside. I can't stand sitting in the entry plug."

"Then leave, dammit!" My sudden outburst caught his attention. I stood and faced him. "Quit whining and just leave. If you can't stand us anymore leave! When your time here is done leave!" There was a silence as what I had said sink in.

"No, I didn't mean-"

"I see." He said. He stood up slowly. "You really don't care, do you? You want me gone more than anyone." I tried to cover my shock, not very well, unfortunately. 

"Shinji.... I'm sorry, what I meant was-" 

"I know what you meant." His eyes downcast he shoved his hands in his pockets. He turned from me. "Just go...please." I'd done it again.

"Second." A rough voice called me out of the cell. I'd screwed up yet again. I fucking blew it _again!_

Numbly I walked from the cell and stood in the corridor. The Section 2 man began pulling the door close, the twin hydraulic pulleys clattering. 

How many times had I ruined it with Shinji because I was just too stupid to forget everyone else and just think about us? About him? Too damn many. I had to make amends, I had to! 

I saw Shinji sit back down on the cot, dejected.

To hell with Rei and her damn scheme, I cared about Shinji and if he were suffering then I'd be the one to make him happy again.

"Shinji!" A swift back of hand to the larger man's rib cage and the door fell silent, non-moving. I muscled past him and grabbed Shinji in a full out bear hug, clinging to him for all I was worth. His surprised yelp covered up my soft whimper. "Shinji.... I'm sorry!" Hesitantly I felt his arms wrap around my back. That was to be the first time we'd touched like that since that warm night a month ago where we both opened ourselves up to each other. And, for another month, it would be the last.

***************

I ended up being put on temporary probation for my actions against the guard. House arrest would be more like it. Misato chewed me out for assaulting Nerv personnel and about how I ended up in a secured section with my clearance. I brushed it of, not feeling up to arguing.... or revealing the happenings with Shinji in that cell. I can remember sitting in my room listening to music watching the clock. Fourteen more hours until Shinji got back. I had a lot to mull over. Rei was a clone; Nerv had the technology to make a living, breathing human clone. Was that what made me always apprehensive whenever she was around? A subliminal sense that said all was not right? Ten more hours until Shinji got back. My tired eyes registered the sun beginning to peek over the watery horizon, spilling it's light into my window. I went over what I'd theorized again. Commander Ikari had planned something, apparently something so horrendous it would make Rei, the Commander's doll, the clone disobey him and warn me. I couldn't let Shinji pilot when the alarm for the 14th came, or he'd be lost, and both of us would be alone after this ended. One hour. I racked my brain for an excuse, an alibi I could use to convince Shinji to leave it to us, to back off and not even climb into his Eva. But what? Half-hour remained before he arrived.... Finally I heard the door unlock and Misato's loud voice no doubt scolding Shinji for disobedience, while simultaneously wanting to hug the life out of him. 

I made my way into the kitchen, where the one I came to recognize as 'guardian' was gulping down a can of beer, her injured arm resting on the table. Funny, I distinctly remember feeling stinging tears welling up in my eyes.... but I wasn't sad at all. Long ago I'd promised myself I'd never cry again, but here I was, about to cry a river because the stupid baka was home, safe and sound. As he looked my way I turned my head, letting a few tears escape, and wiping away the rest.

"Back so soon?" I tried to sound as mocking as I could, with my throat trying desperately to let out a few sobs.

"Yes Asuka, I'm back." I sighed the sigh of one exceedingly contented with life, and smiled.

Misato must've been wondering what the hell was going on, but she was just the faded background, just a small piece of the receding scenery. He was here, and as long as he was here, I'd do my damnedest to make life as happy as I could. Rei's warning of not letting him pilot was a problem I'd keep tucked away for now, who knows how long it would take before the next angel came, I'd have time. Now I was going to enjoy the rest of the afternoon with Shinji. 

"Hungry? I can make some lunch." Shinji was ambling around the kitchen, obviously restless and needing something to occupy his hands. I decided to comply and agreed. Sitting at the low table where we usually ate, I watched him move about, gathering ingredients and utensils. 

I recall exactly when the calls came. He was about to add basil to the mix of elements of the dish when our cell phones went off, adding to the loud whining alarm drifting through the city. I looked in horror at Shinji, abandoning his cooking and racing for the door. 'Do everything in your power not to let that happen' Rei's words echoed through my head as my thoughts to stop Shinji from piloting hastened to the front of my brain and screamed for me to do something. Without another thought I was after him, shoes barely on and hauling down the hall to the rapidly closing elevator. My hand pierced the space between door and passenger space; halting the progress and allowing me entrance.

"Sh..... Shinji," I panted, catching my breath. "Shinji. You can't pilot this time."

He looked at me, no doubt wondering if I was sane. "Are you kidding? I've got to. You said it yourself, I had to suffer. Besides, I can do it, I know I can." That was bad, Shinji was never that confident. I grabbed his shoulders and pushed him against the side of the elevator car. His eyes met mine, his wide and perplexed, mine open and pleading. Clumsily I dug into his pocket and pulled free his ID card. A beep alerted me to the fact that we were at our floor. Time to book it.

"I'm sorry. You can't pilot." I backed out of the car and slapped the 'up' arrow, sending him back to where we came from. I pocketed his ID and ran towards the train way, hoping to get to the Geo-Front before too much damage was caused. Through the abandoned streets I ran, the alternating sound of my feet pounding the pavement. Thirteen minutes later I was pulling on my plugsuit.

"The Evas aren't fast enough to deploy up top, position Unit two inside the Geo-Front. Asuka will snipe the target as soon as it enters." In my plug I heard Misato's frantic voice barking out orders, trying to come up with a way to defeat this angel. I was jolted in my seat as me and mien leibling sped to the massive cavern known as the Geo-Front. When I reached the psuedo sunlight I grabbed my armament. Three rifles, an assortment of bazookas, and a few sonic glaives. All in all fair defense. 

"I can do this. I can beat this angel even without Shinji here. I have to." One of the techs reported that the last layer of armor was gone, and the enormous explosion that blew a gaping hole in the top of the cavity harbored the scariest thing I'd seen to that day. Shoving my fear down with my common sense I opened fire, super condensed uranium rounds pelting the angel's knees, face, and body. Ninety percent of the shots where K-5, center of mass, and yet nothing happened. My rifle emptied, I reached for the remaining two, and let loose with dual sustained fire, the tracers leaving orange streaks in the air between the angel and me. Then those clicked dry too.

"Shiest!" I swore and tossed the guns aside, reaching for the heavy rocket launchers. Two at a time, bus-sized explosive rounds rammed the angel's hideous body, exploding on impact.

"I'm neutralizing its AT Field aren't I?" I had to be, every round was hitting it. I paused, about to reach for a positron cannon. As I remember it, I leaned forwards when the angel took the opportunity to launch an offensive. Two long, white sheets unfolded from its shoulders. I didn't even have time to wonder the hell they were before it whipped them up and hurled them at me. I think I yelled something like 'No, don't!' but it's blurry. I can for sure remember the pain, blinding to the point of wishing I were dead. The feeling of not having something you _know_ is there isn't just unnerving; it's down right painful. The blades sliced through the shoulders of my Eva like a super-heated knife through butter.... and through the rear monitor I could see blood, so much purple blood, and then without so much as a gesture of effort it rippled the blade sheets and disconnected the arms from my Eva's torso. I didn't think after that, I just acted. Full on I ran, head first at the beast that had cause me so much pain. It seemed to consider this action before raising its blade and firing it directly at my neck.... then it was all red. One of the techs later told me Misato ordered my neural connection disengaged. I never even thanked her. I was aware that my Eva was slumped forward, but what would happen next? I know no other time that I was more unsure of what was going to happen to me. I punched in the code for my plug to be ejected, and soon I was weightless, at the peak of the plug's arc in the sky. I braced myself for impact like I had done in the simulations, and it came, the bone shattering halt and bounce. Then all was still. In the complete blackness I ran my hands over my shoulders, making sure they were still there. The only sounds I heard were the dull muted sounds of the battle outside and my own breathing. After a second the LCL drained from the plug and I slumped in my seat. Defeated. For the second time in a row an angel had bested me. I hated to think that our last chance was Rei.... Rei the clone girl. I hung my head. How was I going to explain this to everyone? To myself? Two quick effortless blows and I was down. It was around then that I saw a crack of light in the darkness and then the whole plug was illuminated with white light. I squinted at the black outlined silhouette. 

"Asuka, fancy seeing you here." I knew that voice...Kaji.

"Kaji? What are you doing here?" I accepted his hands and allowed myself to be pulled from the plug. His strong arms encircling me and keeping me safe.

"Oh nothing, just watering." My feet found solid turf and I shakily stood. He motioned to a patch of watermelons, where a watering pale stood.

"Watering? What the hell for? There's an angel attack happening in case you didn't know." I was astounded he was be doing such an inane thing, he was supposed to be the dashing hero, he'd already saved the damsel, so where was his big sword to slay the dragon?

"Well, I'd like to be here when I die. It's a special place for me." What he said took me off my 'shining prince' high horse and back to reality. 

"Die?"

"It is said that in an angel comes into contact with Adam, who lies sleeping beneath this very ground, then all of humanity shall be eradicated in the Third Impact."

"Wait a minute! We can't die! We can't!" He looked at me, sadness filled his face. 

"I wish that were true, Asuka. But you have fallen, humanity's last hope, the Evangelions were defeated, and so we have no choice." As he spoke a platform rose to the surface in front of us, a massive blue behemoth crouching, and tucked under it's arm it cradled a small green cylinder.

"Wondergirl? With an N2 Mine?" Before I was finished she took off, moving faster than I'd seen anything move in my life. Like a battering ram it ran, smashing the non nuclear bomb into the angel just as it raised it's AT Field. The orange hexagon spread like a flame across the Geo-front, preventing any further movement. I watched in stunned horror as the barrier gave way, as the N2 mine hit, and blew. Even with my eyes closed I saw the explosion. It wasn't the traditional mushroom cloud like most nuclear warheads, but rather a tall cylindrical I beam, with a shock wave rolling from its nucleus. It swept past us in an instant, Kaji's arms wrapped around me, shielding me from the debris. And amidst the fire, the raging inferno stood Unit 00, it's last arm vaporized. With pinpoint precision the angel jousted it's blade through the Eva's face, felling it.

"No...no..." I repeated, she was our last hope. Shinji wouldn't be coming, and both Rei and me were out of the fight. I watched from Kaji's embrace as the angel moved on, it's eye cavities lighting up an instant before the top cone of the headquarters pyramid exploded.

"Kaji.." I whispered. "I'm sorry." I huddled in his arms on the soft grass of the Geo-Front as darkness fell, illuminated only by a few more immense attacks on the headquarters, and then all was still. Not even the incessant chirping of the cicadas penetrated the silence. "What's going to happen to us?" I asked quietly. Kaji looked down at me, his smug grin on his face. "That, my dear Asuka, is up to fate. I can't tell you for sure what will happen; save for the fact that only one person can save us."

"Shinji?"

"Yes."

So Rei's plan had backfired, who knew it would be my fault that humanity was eradicated. All because of Wondergirl. We fell silent for a few seconds; each probably thinking of lost chances and better times. I thought of Mama.... and the horrible day when I found her. 'Come die with me Asuka' She had said. 'Come to heaven with me darling' I hated that woman, she was weak where I was strong. I didn't need anyone to take care of me, until Shinji. He showed me what it was like to care for another, not even Kaji could do that. He single handedly broke through my seven years of pushing others away and showed me how great it felt when you were loved. I always feared being left, but Shinji...I had left him. I left him so I wouldn't lose him.... ironic isn't it? 

From deep within the Geo-Front I heard the unmistakable grinding of a catapult being launched.

"What the hell?" And then a mass of brown and purple erupted from the ground, soaring into the black air, and landing with an upsurge of dust. Evangelion Unit-01, I had never been happier to see that ugly grin on its face in all my months in Tokyo-3.

"Shinji?!" I stood and watched as the Eva raised it's right fist and bashed it into the Angel, time and time again.

"So, fate has other plans, hmmm.." I heard Kaji say behind me.

The Eva grabbed hold on the monster's face and began pulling, stretching and contorting it like someone pulling apart a slab of beef. Then, it jerked once, and slumped down, like a marionette with its strings cut.

"No..." He was so close, all he had to do was pull a little harder and the angel would have been dead.... this must have been what Rei was talking about. Shinji was certainly going to die; no way the angel would leave him. From beneath Unit-01 the blade snaked up and wrapped itself around the Eva's head, constricting it and hauling it into the air. 

"Shinji!" I turned and about fifty yards away I saw the entire bridge crew flee from the cargo elevator built into the side of headquarters. Misato screamed Shinji's name again as he was thrown into the side of the black pyramid. The monster reared back it's blade and rammed it through the Eva's chest, evoking a surge of blood, gushing like a spout into the air, and with the lighting of it's eyes the torso was blown into a mass of blackened flesh and armor.

"What is that?" Misato said from behind me. Eyes wide I looked to where she pointed. Red like blood, with spider veins covering the lower half, it sat implanted in the purple beast's chest. 'Angel core', I thought. It was a goddamn angel core! Like curved scimitars the angel's blade pounded the core over and over, sparking and causing the whole of headquarters to shake. Then, as the blade neared the core again two pinpoints of white light shone from beneath the canted forehead of the Eva, and it's hand whipped up, catching the blade and splitting it into five strands, like bread through a pasta maker. It wrapped its hand amidst the torn blade and yanked, pulling the angel directly towards it, where they stared each other, face to face, eye to eye. Monster to monster. A kick and the angel was propelled backwards, right past Kaji and me. In an instant the Eva was on its feet and pressing the crumpled blade to the stump of it's left arm. With a bubbling of tissue and the warping of flesh the white angel blade became the familiar brown skin of Unit-01. I watched, mouth gaping as the remaining blade sprung from the grounded angel and at Unit-01. I shuddered involuntarily as the beast slashed it's hand across space, the force of the swipe so strong it penetrated the AT field and hacked into the angel's hide, spattering blood across the interior.

The Eva seemed to pause before lowering to all fours and, much like a reptile of prehistoric times, loped to where the stricken angel lay, mashing it's face in before it could use it's beam weapon. I stood there, shaking, watching as the Eva lowered its head to the meat of the angel and began feasting. My stomach cramped and I leaned over, vomiting. The smell of the unearthly angel's entrails was overwhelming, and the Eva took no recess from delving into the guts, ripping chunks out and swallowing them.

After the torso had been shredded, and all that remained of the 14th was the blood soaked carcass, the Eva stood, its belly full, and hunched over. Snapping and cracking where the sounds as the armor was torn from the spine and shoulders of the psycho animal, and it lifted its head to the heavens in defiance, and it roared.

Continued................

A/N Well, so concludes chapter one. Next is the attack of the 15th angel, which I am in no way looking forward to writing. Now, some of you may be confused by the events happening: 'Is this an A/S fic or what?' you ask. It's not...at least not yet. Asuka doesn't know if she loves Shinji as a fellow pilot and friend, or as someone she'd like to spend the rest of her life with. Every time she thinks she knows Human Nature shows up and deals her a wild card. Some of you may say Rei would never show Asuka what she did and defy the commander, well, she would. If it meant protecting Shinji she would. If this was from Rei's POV you would have seen the steady increase Ayanami would have shown in making sure Shinji was safe. 

Big load of thanks goes out to Lord Deathscythe, TommyRude, Weltall Elite, Random 1377 and Ryoma.

Shin's Flying Omake Circus

"This is where I was created....where I was cloned." Rei said and looked down. Asuka stared up at the massive cloning tank, her first thought being how much it resembled a tank full of guppies. She stepped up to it and tapped her finger against the glass.

"Come here little guppy...." She said in a singsong voice. Not being able to see through the yellow liquid, she pressed her face to the glass, searching to get a glimpse of the said guppies. A shadow became apparent in the recesses of the tank, puzzling Asuka.

"I would not do that-" Rei started.

"I didn't ask for your help, Wonderclone." Asuka said, straining her eyes to make out the ever-growing shadow. "A guppy coming to say hi?" Asuka asked, her nostrils making little vapor marks on the glass. The shadow became more pronounced until a face reared out of the yellowy darkness and pressed against the glass, startling the poor Eva pilot. 

"The fuck is that?!" Asuka asked, panting and looking in horror at the tank, which now harbored the face of Hoshino Ruri.

"The _new_ scenario." Asuka looked up to see Commander Ikari standing on a balcony. "Project N, the merging of humans and Jovians." 

While Gendo smirked in his Gendo fashion Asuka rolled her eyes and left the Commander and his doll to their anime marathons.

End.


End file.
